Ist I December, 1961 WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY Social Aims Find Support In Ranks Of Clergymen BY A. C. FO RREST THE UNITED CHURCH OBSERVER Although everyone knows that Protestant ministers were always active in the old CCF party, it was a surprise to me, and many others, to discover so many ministers at the founding convention of the New Party. Tt was a surprise also to many of the 16 ministers who were there, with some misgivings, and to the ordained men who have been quietly joining “New Party” clubs. It was no surprise, however, to Mr. R. D. Sparham, Director of New Party clubs and former Metho- dist lay preacher in England. He says that there are over 100 ministers in such clubs across the country, and at least 20 are office-holders. In Tor- onto one NP club is made up en- tirely of ministers. The majority are United Church; there is a substantial number of Anglicans and a few Baptists. The Rev. T. C. Douglas, leader of the New Democratic Party, and still a minister of the Baptist Church, says it is no surprise to him either. “The Church created the climate for the.CCF movement,” he says. “Ministers in the thirties were so concerned for the plight of the poor and the unemployed, they sought social action through politics.” He adds; “It was a basement full of un- employed young men in my church at Weyburn that sent me into poli- tics in 1934. And I’m convinced that if we don’t have a planned economy, Canada will be condemned by auto- mation to permanent unemployment of one million.” “Church Prepared Climate” Mr. Douglas says the church has prepared the climate for the new party now, but in a very different way. “The clergy, as few others, have sensed the horrible possibility. of nuclear war, They have called our attention to it. Some of them feel that it may be necessary for a few of them, or even for a nation or a group of nations, to make some Strong stand to dramatize the danger.” He believes the emphasis of the CCF and the New Party clubs on international affairs, the cam- paigns to get out of NATO and NORAD, and against nuclear arma- ments, have interested ministers. A substantial number of ministers who are interested in the New Party Support unilateral disarmament, withdrawal from NATO, and no nuclear weapons on Canadian soil. Much of the support within the United Church for these has come from CCF and New Party ministers in Western Canada. Many of the ministers, especially old-line CCF supporters, are pacifist. Mr. Douglas is not a pacifist. “I can never accept the philosophy,” he says. Mr. Douglas believes also that the churches and their ministers have done more than any other organiza- tion to emphasize the tremendous need to help underdeveloped coun- tries help themselves, “The mission- ary societies and the churches have always emphasized this,” he recalls. Too Fat and Lazy Now Mr. Sparham says that the attrac- tion for ministers is now different to what it was in the days when the CCF called so many men from pul- pit to political platform. “Ministers are always concerned for the morality of the community,” he says, “Ministers joined the Labour party in England and the CCF here during the thirties, because hunger and poverty were destroying the community. Now we are fat and have too much. We are growing morally and spiritually lazy. We for- get that faith and spirit are the only realities.” He says concerned min- isters have turned to the new party because they feel there is need to reform things, not because they be- lieve in socialism. Mr. Sparham, who still talks like a lay preacher, believes in a two- party system. He thinks—and hopes —that Canada’s Liberal party will disappear and the NDP will become a strong left-of-centre national party. He says he doesn’t mind people say- ing he is a socialist, but really thinks of himself as a “liberal”. Two ministers told me that they had joined New Party clubs in order to use their influence to keep the party from going too far to the left. Mr. Douglas told me, “My belief is that the old-line socialists are the real reactionaries living in the past. Socialism, like everything else, changes. The main objective of society should be the welfare, in- cluding the moral and spiritual wel- fare of the people.” He says that the way to achieve this is through a “planned economy,” and adds, “Socialism is part of a de- based coinage today. People have no clear idea of what we mean by soc- ialism. Khrushchev says socialism when he means communism. Hitler gave Germany National Socialism. We have to be realistic about the term. But you can have public control without public ownership. Public ownership is not an end in it- self, but a means to an end.” Want to Reform Things The visitor to the convention could be very confused by listening to the speeches and studying the resolutions passed. The New Demo- cratic Party vaunted its democracy, but it voted to give the party brass power to veto local nominations, something liberals and conservatives would never dare to do. The Rev. H. L. Wipprecht was booed when he told the convention -that liberalism in Canada was a more respectable word than social- ism. But Mr. Sparham was cheered in the next speech when he said al- most the same thing. Support Sally Ann” Around the world, church bells are ringing out the familiar Christ- mas message of peace on earth, good will toward men. “' The Salvation Army joins this carol of the bells with its own special Streets, and in Japan the coins dropped into the kettles bought bas- kets of rice cakes for children’s fes- tive days. The silver and red kettles of Belgium yielded up toys for little ones on St. Nicholas Day. In British Guiana and Brazil workers brave the intense heat of the tropic sum- mer to ring their kettle bells. Into the kettles everywhere today go the gifts of busy Christmas shop- pers. By adding the red kettle to their Christmas lists, many reach a circle far beyond their own families and friends. Their gifts reach the hospital ward, the home for the aged, lonely military outposts, prison cells —- the hungry, the homeless, the forgotten. Because of the red kettles, those of the wider circle hear once again the Christmas message of good will toward men. “KEEP THE POT BOILING” Mail Donations to Salvation Army Christmas Cheer H.Q. 301 East Hastings Street, Vancouver 4, B.C, C. J. MURDOCH Please Contact Jackson at Suite 6 855 Thurlow St. Vancouver 5, MU 4-6045 Sparham says, “You have to re- member that differences of opinion are not inimical to unity. Policy and ideals are less important than tem- perament and personality in a move- ment such as this. The people here feel left of centre. We don’t fear, but welcome change. We want to re- form things. It is natural for min- isters of religion to be attracted to such a party.” He says also that liberals, conservatives and members of the IODE will all be welcome. What Kind of Ministers? What kind of ministers have been attracted? The Rev. Harvey Moats of Winnipeg is an old-line CCF’er from Saskatchewan, a pacifist who did alternative service as a fire- fighter during the war, in London, England. Most older men are CCF’ers hoping that the marriage with labour will bring success. The Rev. Helmut Wipprecht thinks of himself as a liberal with a small “1”, in a country where the old parties have gone too far to the right and the New Party might go too far to the left. He is no pacifist. He lived a great deal of his life under a dictator in Europe and he didn’t like it. The Rev. Dr. David Summers is Secretary of the Religion-Labour foundation. His work brings him in constant -contact with leaders of or- ganized churches, but he emphasized that he was not representing the or- ganization at the Convention. Three of the delegates were Alberta pastors. Of Alberta, where the NP move- ment is strong among ministers, Mr. Sparham says, “It is a reaction against the sanctimonious humbug of Premier Manning, who subtly suggests the only real Christians are Social Credit.” Some ministers, like the Rev. Stanley Knowles and Mr. Douglas, are seasoned and successful poli- DR. “Weedles frighten him but tm sure he'll come round...” —= SASKATCHEWAN INTRODUCES FIRST COMPREHENSIVE PRE-PAID MEDICAL. INSURANCE SCHEME IN N. AMERICA... SUPNE-cPA ticians who have made politics their ministry and have no apology for it. Others (a fair number it is suspected) are youthful ministers who think that the country needs some changes and they may have more influence bringing them about through a New Party club than by quietly voting for one of the older parties. They are not quite sure what they hope for, but they hope. Most of them seem intensely ideal- istic, impatient with the slowness of the government and the church in social reform, disarmament and help for the world’s needy. They are attracted to a party whose leader says he would rather spend millions training young people to fight pov- erty and need anywhere in the world, than putting a man on the Although there has been a strong British labour influence in the New Party, one also detects an intense Canadianism. Mr. Douglas says he would “sever our supine dependence upon the American state department by breaking away from NORAD and refusing to have nuclear weapons in Canada.” “I would like to see Canada giving leadership to the uncommitted na- tions to form a third block. We un- derestimate the moral power of the uncommitted nations in the UN.” On the whole, New Party ministers are very enthusiastic for the UN. Politics Easier Than Pulpit Mr. Douglas reminds us that it was a reaction against the pious in religion and the emphasis on the social Gospel that sent some of his generation into politics. “We were reading Rausenbusch then, and William Temple was our prophet. We were influenced by the United Church’s R. B. Y. Scott, Gregory Vlastos and John Line.” But one has an uneasy feeling that the ministers who left the active work for the CCF years ago, haven’t read any theology since. They seem to have ended their theological growth with the social Gospel. Mr. Sparham, who left the lay preacher’s pulpit for politics, says politics is easier. “I am much less afraid of making a mistake preach- ing a political philosophy than a religious dogma. Intellectually it is easier to take a position politically than theologically.” He admits that while he is “still emotionally religious,” he hasn’t been going to church much since he got into the New Party movement. “I could rationalize and say that it is because I have been very busy, but I have to admit that there is more to it than that. I don’t quite like to say that I was just skeptical, but I found in politics that I could divert my energy into practical things, rather than work my way through my re- ligious doubt.” Rayonier Canada Limite @ GLADSTONE LUGGAGE S. Madill Ltd. @ TRANSISTOR RADIO @ SKILSAW MODEL 533 Tickets $1.00 @ MAN’S CALVAN WRIST WATCH >) Crown Zellerbach Canada Limited @ ROGERS MAJESTIC CLOCK RADIO @ @ ONE PAIR DAYTON’S LOGGING @ BOOTS Dayton Shoe Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Canadian Forest Products Ltd. MacMillan, Bloedel & Powell River Co. B.C. Forest Products Limited @ TELEPHONE MEMO UNIT Vernon Clark Office Supply Co. .W.A. LOGGERS BALL MT. 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